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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29119839">It's Fate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6'>Emily_F6</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Skip Beat!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:07:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29119839</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ren finds himself getting discouraged about the small and trivial progress between himself and the girl he loves, he's given a peek of the future that fate has in store for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mogami Kyoko/Tsuruga Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello!  So Skip Beat was actually my first fandom back in 2010 when I was a sad college student desperate to write and read and generally escape my real life.  I found myself burnt out on writing for Skip Beat in 2012 or so, and now, 9 years later, I’m finally back!  I decided to reread the manga and found myself coming up with story ideas once more!  I have no idea if the people that read my old stories are still around, but I hope you enjoy this new little story idea that wouldn’t leave me alone &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ren Tsuruga headed down the familiar corridor of LME, sure that he'd traveled this path more times than any other in the building by now. According to his phone, it was 10:32pm, and although hadn't spoken to Kyoko Mogami in three days now, what with her role in Box R, her Love Me duties, and the training she had been going through in order to try out for the new ninja role, she'd been busy, and the last thing he wanted to do was distract her from her work.</p><p>At least, that's what he told himself every evening when he would pick up his phone, checking the time and wondering if it was too late to call her. Surely she was tired. Or busy. And he didn't want her to feel obligated to talk to him. So he didn't call. He did send the occasional text, telling her that he hoped work was going well, or asking how Box R was going. He'd even set his TV to record the teen drama whose ratings were slowing going up to keep up with how the show was going...how to watch her act as Natsu. Was it scary to see the woman he loved torturing her fellow students? Kind of. But he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her, even during the bullying scenes.</p><p>So, since it had been three days since he'd heard her voice, and almost a full week since he'd seen her, he decided to stop by the office, mostly to let Yashiro catch up on some paperwork, but also, he thought as he headed for the Love Me Room, if there was a chance that he could run into her, he'd take it. Yashiro had been managing her schedule as well, but they hadn't been picking her up this week because of the extra training she'd been doing with Kotonami-san.</p><p>When he turned the final corner before he reached the Love Me office, he found the girls in question talking quietly in the hallway as they shut the door to the office behind them, stepping around a sign that warned of a wet floor as a janitor mopped a few feet away. Kyoko seemed visibly excited as he hopped up on her toes, grabbing her best friend's arm, and the other girl just sighed, rolling her eyes a little, but Ren could see the tiny, pleased smile breaking through. . Just that little action sent a pang of longing shooting through him. He was glad she had such a good friend...honestly, he was. But, he couldn't help but wonder, why couldn't Kyoko ever act that way with him?</p><p>As if she had sensed his presence, Kyoko turned, followed by her friend, and Kotonami-san gave him the cold, appraising look she always gave him. It was strange...he didn't think he'd ever done anything to Kotonami-san. She was Kyoko's best friend, so he was inclined to try and get her to like him, but despite his unfailingly friendly greetings, she never seemed to warm to him. Instead, she was always watching him, as though he were a puzzle she needed to solve. Kyoko, on the other hand, smiled at him sweetly, hands clasped as she bowed to him. It was a slightly less formal bow that she'd started with when they'd first started becoming friendly, so he took that as a win.</p><p>"Good evening, Tsuruga-san! I didn't know you'd be at LME today."</p><p>Kotonami gave a quick bow of her own, murmuring her greetings as well.</p><p>"Good evening Mogami-san. Kotonami-san. Yashiro had to do some paperwork, so I thought I'd take a quick walk. How are you this evening."</p><p>"We're doing well, thank you!" Kyoko chirped, seeming in a better mood than usual. Before he could ask, or offer her a ride home, her friend cut in with the same smile she'd given him on Kyoko's birthday.</p><p>"We're actually having a sleepover at my place tonight."</p><p>He did everything he could to keep the disappointment off of his face, well aware of how good Kyoko was at picking up on his moods. "That sounds like a lot of fun," he told them, unable to help the soft smile when Kyoko lit up.</p><p>"It's going to be so much fun! It's only my second real sleepover, and then in the morning we're going to go running together because Moko-san always complains that the food I make has too many calories!"</p><p>He couldn't help the bemused smile as he friend rolled her eyes. "Mo, Kyoko, that's because you always insist on making desert," she grumbled. It hadn't taken him long to figure out why exactly Kyoko called Kotonami-san 'Moko' but did his best not to think of her that way, lest he slip up and accidently use that nickname. He was pretty sure the dark haired girl wouldn't appreciate it.</p><p>"Oh, Tsuruga-san, did you need the Love Me department for something?" Kyoko asked then, eyes wide as she turned back to him, her hands clasped in front of her, posture perfect. He came a little closer, shaking his head.</p><p>"No, I didn't need anything. I just wanted to take a walk. Do you ladies need a ride home?"</p><p>"No thanks. I've already called a cab," Kotonami-san told him, nudging Kyoko with an elbow. Kyoko had seemed different around him lately...he saw it now as she dropped her eyes, flushing a little. She was doing that a lot...staring into space right before she'd look away from him and blush. Did it mean something? Was he finally making some small, insignificant progress? Or was it something to do with Fuwa? Or Reino? Or Kijima? Honestly, it felt like every time he turned around, there was another man waiting in line to get her attention. "Kyoko, we'd better go."</p><p>Ren gave a slight nod of his head. "I'll see you later then. I hope you have a good time tonight."</p><p>The smile he got back was soft and sweet and shy all at once, and Kyoko bowed to him once more. "Thank you. Have a good night, Tsuruga-san!" And with a wave, she was off, following Kotonami-san, the two of them hurrying toward the employee side entrance.</p><p>"Do you want to see?"</p><p>He startled, blinking down at the woman pushing a mop in the hallway that he'd practically forgotten about. She was maybe his mother's age, with soft, dark eyes that moved from Kyoko's retreating from and back to him.</p><p>"I….I'm sorry," he gave her a polite, if not confused smile as he tore his gaze away from the retreating girl, her bright pink uniform seeming to glow as she turned a corner at a near jog. "I don't think I understood you." It was a phrase he'd used a thousand times when first moving to this country, and with it came the same old wave of frustration he'd been pushing down for years now.</p><p>The woman smiled at him, compassion in her eyes. "You shouldn't give up. It's fate, you know."</p><p>Now wariness warred with confusion as he kept the smile, strained though it was. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm not sure I know what you mean."</p><p>She laughed then, soft and low. "Would you like to see what it's going to be like?"</p><p>Just then, he heard footsteps approaching and glanced back to find Yashiro turning the corner. "Are you ready?" his manager asked, eyes searching the corridor. "Where's Kyoko-chan?"</p><p>"Mogami-san has a sleepover planned with Kotonami-san, so she doesn't need a ride home." He ignored the expression on Yashiro's face, a mix of pity and amusement at Ren's face, struggling to conceal his disappointment as he turned back to the woman who had gone back to mopping. "Excuse me. Have a nice evening."</p><p>Thankfully, there were no more cryptic statements, just a brief smile and nod from her as she went back to mopping, and Ren made a mental note to ask Boss about her. Had she been talking about Kyoko? Did she know the young actress? She hadn't seemed to a moment ago. Neither of the girls had spoken to her.</p><p>By the time Ren was placing his key in the door to his apartment, it was nearly midnight, and he was beyond grateful that his first appointment wasn't until ten. Plus, he reminded himself with a shred of hope, he had some work to do at LME later on in the day, and he might run into Kyoko. Maybe, he thought with a soft smile as he turned the doorknob, they could have lunch. He could ask her about her sleepover. Moko-san and his eating habits were two surefire ways to get Kyoko talking.</p><p>Small and trivial progress, he brain reminded him, and he sighed, his smile dropping. Was it working? Any of it? Did he have any hope at all of winning her heart?</p><p>The lights were on. Ren froze as he stood in the doorway of his apartment...the place that had been his apartment for nearly three years now. Never once had he ever forgotten to turn the lights off. But that wasn't all that was wrong. He smelled food…there was only one person that cooked at his apartment.</p><p>And then, Ren felt his heart stop.</p><p>She was on the sofa, wrapped in a sweater that was definitely his, a tiny brush in one hand as she stared down at her nails, applying the color carefully. He felt his jaw drop, eyes wide as he took her in. Kyoko. This was definitely Kyoko. But...but her hair...was it a little different? Longer? And her face...something was different. Just a little off from the one he'd seen an hour or so before.</p><p>Her eyes flashed up to him and he dismissed those thoughts, bracing himself for the apology. The dogeza. The explanation of how exactly she'd gotten a key to his apartment. Not that he minded. Honestly, he couldn't deny the happy tightening in his heart the moment he set eyes on her, and if that came from her breaking and entering, he'd take it. Still, he was nothing if not curious.</p><p>Instead of doing any of that, though, her eyes lit up, a smile that froze him in place turning the corners of her mouth. "Hi! Welcome home!"</p><p>"I'm home," he repeated in a daze as if on autopilot, staring down at her as she sat the brush back in the bottle of nail polish.</p><p>"Moko brought this back for me from America! And I figured that since I'm not filming until Monday, I'd at least get to wear it for the weekend! What do you think?" She turned her hands, showing off her bright pink nails, watching him expectantly.</p><p>His mouth opened but nothing came out. Kyoko was in his living room. Sitting on his sofa. Wearing his sweater. Smiling at him like she…like…</p><p>She giggled then, standing from the sofa and looking him up and down, seeming more at ease than he'd ever seen her...well, since they were kids anyway. "Are you stuck?" Kyoko asked with a laugh, and he felt himself smiling in response.</p><p>"I...Mogami-san…"</p><p>She lifted her eyebrows then, looking bemused, another new expression. "Yes, Tsuruga-san?" Her voice lingered on his name, incredulous and playful all at once, and he brought the fingers of his left hand to his right, pinching hard. Nothing happened. She still stood there, looking as though he'd just told a joke. After a moment though, her smile dropped a little, and his heart dropped with it as she came to stand in front of him, brows furrowing. With her on the step and him in the doorway, she was closer to his eye level, but she still had to reach up to touch his face. "Kuon?"</p><p>His heart really did stop then, his face frozen in the same neutral (oh god he hoped it was neutral!) expression as her fingers brushed against his cheek. She knew his name. She knew who he was. But...how? How long had she known? And, somehow more importantly, she was touching him! Why was she touching him? Her fingers were grazing his cheek...her skin was touching his skin! And she was doing it on purpose! He didn't think he could take much more of this! "What...Moga…"</p><p>There was something heartbreakingly afraid in her eyes and he couldn't do it. He couldn't ask. Couldn't break this...whatever it was. Spell? Acting exercise? Did she need help with a role? It didn't matter. Their roles were simple here, unlike the nightmares he'd had where he'd showed up on set with no idea what role he was supposed to be playing or what his lines were. His role now was to be in love with her...and all he had to do was be himself.</p><p>His hand moved up to capture hers, curling gently over the back of her knuckles, careful to avoid her wet nails as he forced himself to relax. To take a breath. To smile. If this was an acting challenge, he'd accept it, and in the meantime, he was going to enjoy himself. Never mind that she somehow knew his name and was in his apartment. His brain couldn't seem to deal with any of that at the moment. "I'm sorry. I...think I'm just tired. It's been a long day."</p><p>She released a breath then, and then, in a move he never would have even dreamed of, she stretched up on her toes, her lips meeting his as though they did this every day. As though the last time he'd even pressed his lips to her cheek (well...as Ren anyway...Corn had apparently gotten a pass) she hadn't had a complete meltdown. His shock didn't last more than a millisecond though before he was kissing her back, desperate and overjoyed and absolutely stunned all at the same time.</p><p>This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. But it felt real. Her lips against his sent electricity racing through his body, and his hands moved on their own, one pressed against her lower back, the other on her soft cheek.</p><p>She pulled away too soon, her nose brushing against his as she blushed a little. But she wasn't hiding from him. She wasn't running. She'd broken into his apartment and she'd kissed him and now she was standing there, still in kissing distance, and looking so happy about it that it felt like his heart might burst just looking at her.</p><p>She took a step back then, shooting him a quick smile as she headed for his sofa where she screwed the lid more tightly onto the bottle of pink nail polish, leaving it on the coffee table. She had a glass of water on the table too, and a script sat haphazardly in the middle. As though she lived there.</p><p>In a daze, he toed off his shoes, then followed her like a magnet. "I'm sorry I couldn't meet you for lunch today. This new movie is so intense. I didn't think that after Momoji I'd get so many more ninja roles." She rubbed at her shoulder absently, rolling it. "I have training again tomorrow morning, so we won't have time for breakfast together, but I'll make you a plate. Are we still okay for Sunday night?"</p><p>He'd been drinking in her words, all spoken so casually...just as casually as she had spoken to Corn as a child. The question took him aback though, and she stared at him, cocking her head and lifting an eyebrow.</p><p>"Why are you staring at me like that?" She brought a self conscious hand up to her face. "Did I get nail polish on me?"</p><p>"No…". He shook his head, then spoke, letting the words out for the first time without interruption...without holding himself back. Without censoring. "You're so beautiful. I love you."</p><p>Her mouth opened into a little 'o' of surprise, her eyes lowering and her cheeks flushing. Ren berated himself, lowering his own eyes. He'd ruined it. He'd opened his stupid mouth and…</p><p>His train of thought was abruptly derailed when her fingers hooked in his belt loops and pulled him closer, an expression that reminded him vaguely of Natsu on her beautiful face. Only this wasn't Natsu. This was better. Because Natsu was a character. But this...this was Kyoko staring up at him with a sweet, sinful smile, her body almost flush with his as she bent back, head tilted up to look at him.</p><p>Reaching up, Kyoko traced her fingers along the side of his face, then lay her hand on the back of his neck, tugging him down. He went eagerly, sure that this dream or hallucination couldn't get any better. And then she kissed him again, deeper this time, arms linked around his neck as he held her as close as he could, wanting nothing more than to drink her in.</p><p>When she finally pulled away just a little, their lips almost touching, she spoke in a near whisper. "I love you. So much."</p><p>She was blushing, just a little, cheeks adorably pink, but she wasn't freezing up or running away from him. She didn't even stutter over the words. And he wanted to ask. Was this a role? Was it an acting exercise or practice or something else that was inevitably going to break his heart? And while he was asking, why had she called him Kuon? But he couldn't bring himself to. Not when she was standing so close...not when she was looking at him like that. Her palms moved to rest against his chest and it felt like he was on fire...but also like any moment he might wake up and it all might be over. But even when he finally let himself breathe again, blinking as he watched her watching him, it didn't end. She was still there. Still smiling.</p><p>Until a soft growling noise startled the both of them and her cheeks darkened. He couldn't help the laugh at her familiar blush...at the way her head bowed and her hands dropped, her eyes narrowing as though she were going to scold her stomach. "Sorry," she told him, sheepish but still smiling. "I was waiting for you. What do you want for dinner?" Kyoko checked her nails, nodding to herself when they were still perfectly unsmudged.</p><p>"Anything," he murmured, afraid to speak any louder.</p><p>Her smile brightened, eyes shining. "Really? Well, frog legs it is."</p><p>His jaw dropped, a bark of laughter escaping as she sauntered into the kitchen, practically running to catch her. "No!" he cried, starting to wrap an arm around her then freezing on instinct. He always stopped himself. Every time he reached for her, every time he wanted to brush her hair back or rest a hand on her arm...innocent touches that, back home, would have been nothing, he stopped himself. Because here...in this country with this girl...it had seemed impossible.</p><p>Ren forced himself forward anyway. He was acting, right? This was a...an acting exercise. Somehow. And he wasn't going to let this girl beat him. Catching up as they passed the threshold into the kitchen, he wrapped an arm around Kyoko's stomach, pulling her backwards and lifting her into his arms. She laughed out loud, twisting in his hold but not trying to get away.</p><p>"Corn! Let me go! I have to get the frog legs started!"</p><p>Corn. She'd said Corn. She knew he was Corn too?</p><p>It didn't matter, he realized. Because she wasn't freezing and she wasn't crying. He was holding her, his arms wrapped around her stomach, and she was just...letting him. Honestly, he didn't think this could ever get old. It had to be a dream, he realized. Or a hallucination. He put her down regardless, gentle as he sat her back on her feet, and she rested against him for a moment before moving further into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator. He was about to tell her, Kyoko or her character or whoever she was being, that he didn't have any food because he hadn't been to the grocery in weeks, but to his surprise, when she opened the refrigerator door, it was stuffed with food.</p><p>He hadn't been to the grocery in weeks.</p><p>And now that he managed to tear his eyes away from the girl in his kitchen, he realized that a lot of things in his kitchen were different. The curtains. The pot holders...hell, he didn't even own pot holders, and these were blue with yellow flowers on them, not exactly something he would have picked out. Backing out of the kitchen as she began pulling out ingredients, he looked around his living room, focusing this time on the things that were different from when he'd left that morning. The curtains. The rug. Heart pounding, he raced to the bedroom, throwing open the door and switching on the lights as his heart skipped a beat.</p><p>His eyes drifted slowly from the bed (different bedspread, more pillows) to his dresser (now topped by three framed photos, one of him and Kyoko, one of his parents, and one with all of them together) and finally to his closet which he pulled open. They were his clothes. All of them his. And his heart started to drop before he yanked open the door of his second closet, the one he'd used to store the boxes of clothes he'd been meaning to get rid of. Instead of old boxes, he found what he had to assume was Kyoko's entire wardrobe, complete with an entire row of shoes, all lined up, from white sneakers to colorful flats to a single pair of black heels with red bottoms.</p><p>He staggered to the bathroom, flipping on the light to find a makeup case resting on the edge of his counter, and under his sink, he felt his cheeks redden a little at the box of tampons.</p><p>This wasn't an acting challenge. This wasn't a...a test or practice for a role. Mostly because Kyoko couldn't afford this stuff, nor would she have had time to move all of it to his apartment. But mostly, she wouldn't have dared. Never in a million years would Kyoko Mogami have snuck into his apartment, but even if that impossible thing had happened, she would never, ever have put clothes in one of his closets.</p><p>Not unless he'd invited her to. Not unless she lived here.</p><p>And most importantly, she knew his name. Both of them...Corn and Kuon, two sides of him that she'd met but that he'd kept hidden from her, separate from Ren. How would she have known that?</p><p>The old woman's words came back to him then, and he stared at the tampons, lost in thought as he pondered the impossibility of it all. He'd never spoken to her before…hell, he didn't think he'd ever even seen the woman who had been mopping the floors of LME. And Kyoko had turned him down for a ride because she had a sleepover with Kotonomi-san. Right? The woman had asked him if he wanted to see...if he wanted to see what it would be like. And despite the impossibility, he realized there was no other explanation that made any kind of sense. Kyoko was an amazing actress. Almost no one he'd ever met could disappear into their roles like she could. But even she couldn't pretend to be his live-in girlfriend…</p><p>Just as he thought the words, he straightened, staring down at his bathroom counter, his eyes taking in the rest of it. Make up bag. Razor. Handsoap. And nestled beside the makeup bag, sitting in a tiny bowl that looked to have been made out of a gemstone, was a ring. A diamond ring. He reached out, pinching it between his fingers, holding it up to the light.</p><p>Not his girlfriend. His fiancee. Kyoko was his fiancee.</p><p>He braced a hand on the counter, returning the ring to the bowl, then stared up at himself in the mirror. He looked the same, unlike most of his apartment. And Kyoko looked almost the same. How long? How long before this happened? How could he ask her? How could he find out how much longer he had to wait? Just the thought made him giddy.</p><p>Kyoko was in the middle of spooning what looked like a noodle stir fry onto plates when he returned to the kitchen. Not wanting her to think something was wrong, he'd changed into pajamas, washing his face and leaving the ring where he'd found it. He felt almost as though he'd stepped into someone else's life...like he was intruding on his future self. But the moment Kyoko handed him a plate, that feeling was overwhelmed with the desire to be near her. To enjoy every last second of this precious opportunity he'd been given. Not even with Corn in Guam had Kyoko been this relaxed with him...this happy.</p><p>So, he thought as he carried his own plate and glass of water into the living room, followed closely by Kyoko, she returned his feelings. Right? Wasn't that what this meant? That she loved him too? Or...or that she would some day? Surely she felt something for him now...well...not now, right this second. Now, as in...the Kyoko he'd left at LME who'd been on her way to her best friend's house. That Kyoko. That Kyoko returned his feelings?</p><p>He tried to remember if she'd given him any indication of that as he went back over their interactions in his mind. Was that was her recent strange behavior had meant? But before he could think back over anything earlier than their meeting a few hours ago, Kyoko was sitting next to him on the floor, her knee resting against his, her shoulder practically touching his. He froze, staring at the TV that she turned on and wondering if he could ever get used to this...surely he could. Because...because she lived with him! Right? She...she lived with him and she...she had a closet in his bedroom. Their bedroom? So...so they…</p><p>A sharp elbow poked him in the side and he looked down to a very familiar stern face. "Kuon!" she jerked her chin toward his plate, his real name falling so easily from her lips sending a jolt through him.</p><p>How had he told her? What had she said? Had she been hurt? Upset? Angry? Happy?</p><p>"I know you didn't eat a real lunch." And this, at least, was familiar. So familiar that he began eating out of habit, smiling a little as she lectured him about taking care of his body and the responsibility he had to stay healthy. He knew that Kyoko wouldn't have lectured him about eating if she hadn't cared about him. It was one of the tiny shreds of hope he'd held onto for months now. Yashiro had long ago caught on that Ren tended to mention his lack of eating around Kyoko if only to get her to scold him. And on the absolute best days, that scolding led to an offer to cook for him.</p><p>What wasn't familiar was the way she leaned against him once she was done eating, his arm lifting to drape around her as he head went to his chest, the TV on some entertainment news show that he hadn't been paying attention to, too focused on the delicious food and her voice. The weight of her resting her body against his was something he wanted to memorize and he closed his eyes, stroking her upper arm with his thumb. Then, remembering the way she'd rolled her shoulder, he brought a hand up and squeezed it gently, massaging firmly, and he nearly choked when she moaned, going limp against him, her nose nuzzling against his chest.</p><p>"God, Kuon that feels good," she murmured, voice low and thick, and Ren had to take a deep, steadying breath to keep himself calm. She had a hand fisted in his shirt, but as he continued to massage her shoulder, it dropped, resting instead on his knee. He swallowed hard, then allowed himself to press his lips to the top of her hair. "My shoulder is killing me."</p><p>"You shouldn't push yourself so hard," he practically whispered, desperate not to break the spell.</p><p>"I only have three days before the filming starts."</p><p>"If you hurt yourself, you won't be able to film at all," he coaxed. She sighed, and he felt her breathing start to even out as she closed her eyes. She was falling asleep. On his chest. With him massaging her shoulder. And her hand on his knee. He honestly didn't think he had ever been this happy. The smile on his face felt uncontainable, and he buried his face in her hair. She muttered something after a moment, and he lifted his head and tilted it, trying to see her face. "Hm?"</p><p>"We should go to bed," she told him, lifting her head from his chest and blinking tiredly up at him. "I'll do the dishes."</p><p>"Go ahead and get in bed," he urged, unable to believe what he was saying. "I'll clean up."</p><p>He waited for her to argue. To insist that she couldn't let her esteemed sempai do the dishes. Instead she smiled a little, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek before standing. "Okay. Hurry and come to bed."</p><p>It took him an hour to get ready for bed; fifteen to do all of the dishes and clean up the kitchen, and forty five to convince himself to get into bed with Kyoko. Kyoko, the woman that he loved and the woman that was apparently his fiancee...the woman that slept in his bed, and, he assumed, everything that went with that.</p><p>But his Kyoko was at a sleepover with her best friend. His Kyoko still blushed every time their knees touched under a table and thought that the only reason she was able to play Natsu was because of a magic crystal from a story he'd made up. And, watching the girl in his bed as she slept, he knew that it wouldn't be fair to wake her and ask her all the things he wanted to know...when she'd known that she loved him and what their first date had been and the first time she'd kissed him and how he'd proposed. It would take all of the magic out of it, and now that he knew...now that he was sure that she loved him as much as he loved her...he wanted the magic. All of it. He wanted to see her reaction to his confession and he wanted to brainstorm first date ideas and he wanted to figure out how to ask her to marry him...he wanted every last bit of it, and he wanted it to be a surprise.</p><p>So instead of waking her...instead of asking all the questions he'd managed to think of since coming home that evening, he crawled into bed beside her, staying on his own side. He was going to behave. He was going to sleep on his side of the bed and then, in the morning, he'd find that woman at LME and...and what? Ask her to return him to his own time? His own...life? Or...something? He'd have to figure it out in the morning.</p><p>Before he could think anymore about that, Kyoko rolled over, seeming to seek him out even in her sleep. But when he looked down at her in the dim light, her eyes were open. Sleepy and heavy lidded, but open. "Hey. What took you so long?" she asked, and he stretched his arm out under her head, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He wanted to remember this...all of it. For as long as he could. God only knew the next chance he'd get to do this.</p><p>"Sorry. I thought you'd be asleep."</p><p>"I was waiting for you." She smiled, eyes closing as she relaxed next to him. "Love you. Goodnight, Corn."</p><p>"Goodnight, Kyoko. I love you too."</p><p>Ren woke with a goofy smile on his face, his arm outstretched as if reaching for someone, and it took a moment for his brain to catch up...to remember. Kyoko. Kyoko in his bed, wrapped in his arms. Her lips on his. Her arms wrapped around him. All of it. His eyes snapped open and he looked around his room, heart dropping instantly.</p><p>It was his room. His bedroom. His apartment. And only his. He knew it as soon as he opened his eyes, taking in his bare dresser and the same comforter he'd had since he'd moved into this place. Just in case, he pulled himself to his feet and opened his second closet, the one he would always think of as 'Kyoko's closet' now. But it was mostly empty...just slightly dusty boxes piled on the floor. And in the bathroom, no make up case. No tampons. No ring.</p><p>But, he remembered with a smile that he couldn't seem to get rid of, she loved him. Or...she would. Did she now? Even a little? How was he going to make the future he'd seen the night before come true? The woman's words came back to him once more.</p><p>
  <em>You shouldn't give up. It's fate, you know.</em>
</p><p>Fate. Did he believe in fate? Well, the day before he hadn't believed in middle-aged janitors who could propel him into the future, so go figure. For Kyoko, he thought as he pulled out his phone, he could believe in fate. For Kyoko, he'd believe in anything.</p><p>Opening the last text he'd gotten from Kyoko, a message that had been reminding him to make sure and eat dinner, he clicked 'reply.'</p><p>
  <em>"Good morning, Kyoko-chan. I hope you and Kotonami-san had a good evening and a good run this morning. If you have some free time this evening, would you like to join me for dinner? I get off work at 9."</em>
</p><p>Was he pressing his luck? Maybe. But who was he to argue with fate?</p><p>
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    <strong>Thank you for reading! </strong>
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